The Latest: Lake Tahoe braces for snow, possible avalanches

A woman walks her dog in the rain Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, in San Anselmo, Calif. Heavy downpours are swelling creeks and rivers and bringing threats of flooding in California's already soggy northern and central regions. The National Weather Service map shows floods, snow and wind advisories for the northern part of the state. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
(The Associated Press)

A man walks on a flooded street Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, in Salinas, Calif. Forecasters issued flash flood warnings Monday throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and elsewhere in Northern California as downpours swelled creeks and rivers in the already soggy region. (Nic Coury/Monterey County Weekly via AP)
(The Associated Press)

Residents walk down a flooded road on Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, in Salinas, Calif. Forecasters issued flash flood warnings Monday throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and elsewhere in Northern California as downpours swelled creeks and rivers in the already soggy region. (Nic Coury/Monterey County Weekly via AP)
(The Associated Press)

The National Weather Service has forecast heavy snow in the Lake Tahoe area with a high avalanche danger until Tuesday in an area of the Sierra Nevada from Yuba Pass to Ebbetts Pass.

Forecasters say the winter storm could drop up to 5 feet of snow in areas above 7,500 feet.

Lower elevations could see between 8 and 24 inches of snow.

The NWS is advising motorists to avoid travel in the area through Tuesday.

Moderate to heavy rain along with snow melt below 7,000 feet is expected to swell rivers and streams and increase the chance of flooding.

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10:35 a.m.

Forecasters say rainfall in San Francisco has already surpassed the normal annual amount for the wet season that begins in October.

National Weather Service forecaster Bob Benjamin said Monday that the city has logged 24.50 inches of rain since Oct. 1.

He says the average rainfall for the year ending Sept. 30 is 23.65 inches.

Downpours swelled creeks and rivers Monday throughout Northern California, threatening to cause even more flooding in the already soggy region.

Close to an inch of rain had fallen in San Francisco. Santa Cruz County had seen 2.8 inches of rain in 24 hours and could see up to 8 inches before the storm passes. Marin County got 2.3 inches of rain.

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8:55 a.m.

Heavy downpours are swelling creeks and rivers and bringing threats of flooding in California's already soggy northern and central regions.

The National Weather Service map shows floods, snow and wind advisories for the northern part of the state. The NWS has issued a flash flood warning for the Soberanes burn area in Monterey County.

Rainfall totals for the last 24 hours were close to an inch in San Francisco. Santa Cruz County had logged 2.8 inches but could see up to 8 inches of rain before the storm passes. Marin County saw 2.3 inches of rain. Winds could reach 60 mph in the San Francisco Bay Area.

About 150 miles north of San Francisco, the water level continued to fall at Oroville Dam, where a damaged spillway had raised major flood concerns and prompted an evacuation Feb. 12.

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11:20 p.m.

Some Northern California residents are preparing for another powerful Pacific storm by patrolling levees for signs of danger, reviewing evacuation plans and filling hundreds of sand bags.

One resident near Tracy, which is 80 miles east of San Francisco, said that though the levees appear in good shape, they decided take charge after the San Joaquin River started rising.

The area saw rain and wind Sunday afternoon but forecasters said a storm packing a bigger punch will reach the San Francisco Bay Area overnight before moving to the Central Valley.

The San Joaquin River at a measuring station near Vernalis — about 10 miles southeast of Tracy — remained Sunday at "danger stage," meaning it keeps approaching the top of levees, said Tim Daly, a spokesman with San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services.